As we look ahead to the first season for the Kentucky Wildcats under head coach Will Stein, we are breaking down each position group and projecting what to expect on the depth chart. We have looked at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end so far. Now, arguably the most pivotal position group heading into next season, which is the offensive line. Coach Stein made it a point of emphasis in the portal to flip this group around and revive the 'big blue wall' moniker.

Left Tackle: Lance Heard

Lance Heard is expected to be one of the stalwarts of this offensive line in 2026. He has a ton of SEC experience from his time at LSU and Tennessee; coming off a season where he received third team All-SEC honors for the Vols. The 6'6, 325-pound tackle is an easy mover for his size, and really excels at displacing defenders in the run game. He has only allowed a handful of sacks in his career, and has the potential to be a first or second round draft pick if he has an impressive season for the Wildcats.

Left Guard: Olaus Alinen

Olaus Alinen, the Alabama transfer, seems to be in the driver's seat to win the left guard position battle. At the spring game, Alinen was at left guard every drive Kenny Minchey was in at quarterback. He stands at 6'6, 329-pounds and has position versatility as he has played at both guard and tackle. Assuming Alinen gets the nod, Max Anderson and Aba Selm are two players expected to fill depth at the guard spots.

Center: Coleton Price

Coleton Price comes in with a ton of experience, he started 30 games at Baylor and will step in as a leader of this offensive line. That experience will be crucial to quarterback Kenny Minchey in his first season as a starter. At 6'3, 308-pounds, Price has great movement ability at the center spot and excels at mirroring defensive tackles in pass pro. Last season, he only allowed one sack on 526 pass blocking snaps.

Right Guard: Tegra Tshabola

Tegra Tshabola comes in with a ton of experience under his belt as was a starter for the Ohio State Buckeyes the past two seasons. Tshabola started all 16 games for the Buckeyes in 2024, which culminated in a national championship. Over his career at Ohio State, he played in 43 games and started in 29 total. At 6'6, 329-pounds, Tshabola brings strength to the interior offensive line and will heavily rely on his experience to raise the floor of this unit in 2026.

Right Tackle: Mark Robinson OR Malachi Wood

This spot is a position battle to watch throughout the offseason, as I have a good feeling the other four spots on the offensive line are set in stone. Mark Robinson is a transfer from UTEP, where he is coming off an exceptional season. Malachi Wood possesses all the tools to be an above average starter at tackle, but in his limited snaps at Kentucky it is something we have yet to see. I would imagine Robinson to be the favorite to win this job as of now as he has better film to this point and also seems to be a more refined player in his current form.

Swing Tackle: Olaus Alinen OR Max Anderson

Olaus Alinen or Max Anderson could fill the role of swing tackle when the Wildcats bring an extra offensive lineman in the formation, which is something Coach Stein would do at times at Oregon. Both of these guys have positional versatility, Anderson is expected to be in the mix at left guard but he was working at right tackle in the spring game. In those personnel groupings that bring an extra offensive lineman on, one of these guys will be the extra tackle and the other will be at left guard. They both have the strength in the run game, as these six offensive line formations are mainly utilized for adding numbers in the run blocking scheme.

This position group on paper should be a strength of the team this fall. They have phenomenal size across the board and the three portal additions of Heard, Price and Tshabola bring a ton of experience to the unit. Typically, offenses will ideally have seven or eight guys they are comfortable with on the field. I expect the starters to be Heard, Alinen, Price, Tshabola and Robinson; after that, expect Anderson, Wood and Selm to be the depth pieces that could see some playing time.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky football: Previewing the 2026 offensive line positions